Learn Hardcore Hungarian: A pincér nem hall minket a hangos zene miatt. - The waiter cannot hear us because of the loud music.

Hungarian uses the indefinite verb form with a 3rd-person subject when the direct object is a 1st/2nd person pronoun. So you say: (Ő) nem hall minket.
Use the definite form (hallja) when the object is a definite 3rd‑person thing/pronoun or a definite noun phrase: (Ő) nem hallja őt / a zenét / a beszédet.
Conclusion: nem hall minket is the natural choice; nem hallja minket is nonstandard.

Can I say A pincér minket nem hall?

Yes, and it changes the focus:

A pincér nem hall minket. Neutral: the waiter doesn’t hear us.
A pincér minket nem hall. Emphasis on us: it’s us he doesn’t hear (he might hear others).
Minket a pincér nem hall. Similar, with even stronger focus on minket.

How does miatt work?

Miatt is a postposition meaning “because of.” It follows the noun phrase: a hangos zene miatt.
With personal pronouns it fuses into forms like miattam, miattad, miatta, miattunk, miattatok, miattuk.
Order rule: NP + miatt (never miatt + NP).

Could I use mert instead of miatt?

Yes. Mert introduces a clause:

A pincér nem hall minket, mert hangos a zene. With miatt you give a noun-phrase reason; with mert you give a full clause. Both are natural.

Is a hangos zenétől also correct?

Yes. -tól/-től can mark a cause, especially for physical effects:

A zajtól nem halljuk egymást.
A hangos zenétől a pincér nem hall minket. Nuance: miatt is neutral “because of”; -tól/-től often suggests a direct physical effect (“from, due to”).

Why do we have the article a twice?

Hungarian uses the definite article with each specific noun phrase:

A pincér = the specific waiter.
a hangos zene = the particular loud music (here and now). Having an article before both is normal.

What is the difference between minket and bennünket?

Both mean us (accusative). Minket is the neutral everyday form. Bennünket is more emphatic/formal and is often used when the pronoun is in focus:

A pincér minket nem hall. (neutral focus on “us”)
A pincér bennünket nem hall. (stronger, more formal emphasis)

Could I omit minket?

If you drop it, A pincér nem hall a hangos zene miatt means “The waiter cannot hear (in general) because of the loud music.” It no longer specifically says “us.” Keep minket to preserve that meaning.

Does hall mean “to listen” too? What about hallgat?

hall = to hear (perceive sound): Nem hall minket.
hallgat = to listen (to) OR to be silent, depending on context:
- A pincér nem hallgat ránk. = The waiter does not listen to us.
- Csendben hallgat. = He remains silent.

Can I say Nem tud minket hallani?

Yes: A pincér nem tud minket hallani a hangos zene miatt. This stresses ability (“cannot manage to hear us”). For immediate acoustic situations, the simple present negative nem hall is more idiomatic: Nem hall minket.

How else can I arrange the sentence?

All of these are grammatical, with different information structure:

A hangos zene miatt a pincér nem hall minket. (reason fronted)
A pincér a hangos zene miatt nem hall minket. (reason after subject)
Nem hall minket a pincér a hangos zene miatt. (starts with the negated verb) Keep nem immediately before hall.

How do I say “We can’t hear the waiter”?

Invert roles and use definite conjugation with a definite object:

Mi nem halljuk a pincért a hangos zene miatt. Here halljuk (1st person plural definite) matches the definite object a pincért.

What tense is this, and how do I say it in past/future?

It’s present tense. Variants:

Past: A pincér nem hallott minket a hangos zene miatt.
Future: A pincér nem fog minket hallani a hangos zene miatt.

Why is it hangos zene and not hangosan zene?

Attributive adjectives precede the noun: hangos zene = loud music.
Hangosan is an adverb used with verbs: A zene hangosan szól. = The music is playing loudly.

Is there a more natural word than zene if I mean general noise?

Yes, zaj (noise):

A pincér nem hall minket a zaj miatt. You can also say a nagy zaj miatt (because of the loud noise).

Any quick pronunciation tips?

Stress the first syllable of each word.
hall has a long/doubled l; hold the l slightly longer.
miatt is two syllables (MI-att) with a long tt.
pincér has a long é (pin-céer).